Aetna Inadvertently Revealed HIV Status Of Some Of Its Customers
“It creates a tangible risk of violence, discrimination and other trauma,” Ronda Goldfein, the executive director of the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, says of the insurer's mistake with its mailings.
The Associated Press:
Lawyers: Aetna Envelope Window Reveals Patients' HIV Status
Two legal organizations say health insurer Aetna revealed the HIV status of patients in several states by mailing envelopes with a large, clear window that showed information on purchasing HIV prescriptions. The Legal Action Center and the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania say some patients' relatives and neighbors learned of their HIV status as a result. (8/24)
Bloomberg:
Aetna Accidentally Reveals HIV Status Of Clients In Mailing To 12,000
The beginning of the letter, informing patients about options under their Aetna plan when filling their HIV prescriptions, was in some cases visible below the person’s name and address on the envelope, through a large plastic window, according to the Legal Action Center and the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, which first revealed the mailing problem. (Tracer, 8/24)